Battlefield Barrens: Zone Changes and Acquiring Kor'kron Items

Patch 5.3 introduces a new world event, Battlefield Barrens, that explores the conflict between the Alliance, Horde, and Garrosh. There's a ton of stuff to do and collect as part of this event--but it's only around for a limited amount of time.

Escorting Caravans

Different races escort the caravans depending on where they are headed to. For example, Astranaar sentinels escort the caravan going to Ashenvale, Northwatch dwarves escort the caravan going to Ratchet.

The longer you stay with a caravan, the more stacks of Caravan Escort you'll get, which stacks up to 10.

Upon successfully escorting a caravan, you will get Surplus Supplies which contains varying quantities of all four Kor'kron supplies.

When a caravan begins its trip, or is destroyed by the Kor'kron, there will be a zone-wide notification. However, it will not appear on your minimap unless you are close by.

Map

Routes

Alliance-only routes are blue, Horde-only routes are red, routes for both factions are green.

Alliance:

Dreadmist Peak > Mor'shan Rampart

Dry Hills > Mor'shan Rampart

Thorn Hill > Ratchet

Stagnant Oasis > Ratchet

Sludge Fen > Mor'shan Rampart

Wailing Caverns > West Road

Forgotten Pools > West Road

Horde:

Sludge Fen > Durotar

Southern Barrens > Crossroads

Ratchet > Crossroads

Dry Hills > West Road

Stagnant Oasis > Ratchet

Wailing Caverns > West Road

Grol'dom Farm > Far Watch Post

Northern Barrens

The Kor'kron has a greatly increased presence in Northern Barrens. The Kor'kron has marred the Northern Barrens with several encampments: a slaughterhouse, lumber camp, oil refinery, and elemental quarry.

With the addition of level 90 mobs in an otherwise low-level zone, there are some new zone drops:

Freeze-Dried Hyena Jerky: If you spend at least 10 seconds eating you will move more quickly while in the Northern Barrens for 1 hour.

Scorpion Crunchies: If you spend at least 10 seconds eating you will deal more damage while in the Northern Barrens for 1 hour.

K.R.E.: If you spend at least 10 seconds eating you will take less damage while in the Northern Barrens for 1 hour.

Durotar

The Darkspear Trolls, led by Vol'jin, have also declared open rebellion against Garrosh's regime. Sen'jin Village has many more troll guards and Razor Hill, once Escalation quests are completed, is taken over by the Darkspear.

In addition, trolls are held captive in cages, surrounded by the Kor'kron, right outside Orgrimmar.

Horde in Vale of Eternal Blossoms

Garrosh has started digging in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, marring a sacred area.

Taran Zhu is not amused and orders Sunwalker Dezco to evacuate the Horde from Pandaria:Taran Zhu: Tauren! What have your people done! You have dredged open a scar within our sacred Vale!Sunwalker Dezco: Lord Zhu, please understand - the orc "Warchief" who ordered the deed no longer speaks for the whole of the Horde. Many voices are rising up against him.Taran Zhu: Your politics are no concern of mine. Your Horde has disrespected the sanctity of this place. You are no longer welcome here - leave at once!Sunwalker Dezco: Give us time, Lord Zhu. Give us the opportunity to bring Hellscream to justice.Taran Zhu: Sunwalker, I respect your people. You have aided us in our campaign against the Sha and the Thunder King. Otherwise, I would've already ordered the Shado-Pan to purge this entire shrine. But my patience is at an end. The Horde must leave.Taran Zhu stares grimply into the distance.Taran Zhu: Very Well, You have until season's end. No longer.Taran Zhu: We pandaren are no strangers to dealing with tyrants..The coming battle will try your souls. May the celestials guide your actions.

Possible Loot

Many ilvl 476 items were datamined yesterday that are drops from killing elites such as the Kor'kron Motivator. You'll first loot a Latent Kor'kron item, which can then be infused with a Radical Mojo to create a spec-appropriate epic with a rebellion-themed name.

Comments

Comment by Adamsm

on 2013/03/30 10:18:37

Their entire godamn religon is based around altruism.

Yeah? Too bad not all of the humans follow it...after all, which race was it that enslaved the orcs at the end of the Second War, put a petty tyrant in command of the pens, and left them to live in filth, forced them to fight for the amusement of the lords and Royals, and didn't give a flying &*!@ if they lived or died?

Or had an entire kingdom betray their race, and had a second one turn their backs as a force of Undead came through, hiding behind a wall?

Edit: Also, while the Orcs of Draenor did have a thing about weak children being killed, since weakness was not good for the clans, the Frost Wolves did not...which is how Thrall was trying to raise up the new Horde, on the ideals of his father and Drek'thar; they don't kill weak children anymore on the Azerothian Orcs.

Comment by Xe4ro

on 2013/03/30 12:40:09

My friend wowmartiean found the image I added to the top of the article--I feel compelled to point out that there was 0 photoshopping involved. It's over in the south-east part of Vale on the PTR o.O

Well it seems like it is supposed to be Garrosh's Propaganda against Pandaren or something like that :D

Comment by Spiderbite

on 2013/03/30 12:48:04

Oh, give it a rest.

Comment by belfslayer

on 2013/03/30 13:40:01

I think that either the regent lord of the blood elves or the banshee queen should rule the horde, it's been a while since they've had anything important to do... personally i hope the regent lord =D

Comment by Adamsm

on 2013/03/30 13:42:01

I think that either the regent lord of the blood elves or the banshee queen should rule the horde, it's been a while since they've had anything important to do... personally i hope the regent lord =D

The orc's won't follow a non-Orc, so long as the Warchief position is tied into the leadership of the Orcs, will always be a Orc in the top dog spot.

Comment by 2trumpan

on 2013/03/30 13:45:26

Yo kno wat dis mens mon? Sooner or later VOL'JIN will be Warchief of the Horde, or maybe get back Thrall. Death to garrosh! btw: why ruin such a beutyful place like pandaria :/

Comment by Rankkor

on 2013/03/30 14:29:13

I think that either the regent lord of the blood elves or the banshee queen should rule the horde, it's been a while since they've had anything important to do... personally i hope the regent lord =D

The orc's won't follow a non-Orc, so long as the Warchief position is tied into the leadership of the Orcs, will always be a Orc in the top dog spot.

You can't seriously expect that after ALL of this turmoil, after all of this strife, after all that has happened the horde ISN'T gonna change, that the status quo will be preserved, that the orcs will still be the ruling class, that the leader of the orcs is also the leader of the horde, that the warchief has unilateral authority over the rest of the races.

To think that after this is over, things will remain as they are, is a little naive bro'. I expect changes on the horde, what shape will those changes take, remains to be seen, but don't hold your breath thinking that things will remain the same. Look at the alliance, previously independent nations, now they have a "high king".

Me, I'm putting my money on 2 possibilities:

A: the position of warchief is abolished, each race has their own leader, and these leaders rule together, as the alliance does/did.

B: The position of Warchief, and of Chieftain of the orcs is separated, so that one doesn't automatically means the other, meaning that any leader of any race of the horde can be warchief, rather than just the leader of the orcs.

After what the orcs have pulled off, I doubt the other races of the horde will be happy to just let them continue to rule them. That would be tantamount of leaving the door open for a second garrosh at some point in the future. Garrosh just showed how dangerous is to leave a single person with absolute, unilateral power.

Comment by Adamsm

on 2013/03/30 14:40:53

And I don't trust Blizzard enough to do something like that Rank, which is why I'm still expecting Thrall to be named Warchief again, so Blizzard doesn't have to deal with that.

Comment by itscarrion

on 2013/03/30 16:18:54

No one's trying to make you do anything Woody. I simply offered a suggestion as to how you might broaden your view. What you do with that suggestion is entirely up to you - just don't expect your comments to carry a lot of weight when you acknowledge knowing only one side of the in-game story line.

My comments are backed and supported by lore. They carry weight. If you choose not to know the back story and research the history of the game in which you play then I cannot help you. You are a lost cause and my conversation with you Sir is over.

Oh I do know the back story Woody, and I've played the WarCraft games as well as WoW since inception, and I've read the books, but unlike you I've also played both Horde and Alliance in game and seen both heavily slanted versions of events. I'd repeat my suggestion to you to try to do the same, but it's clear that your views are more religious conviction than informed opinion, and arguing with zealots is pointless.

...my conversation with you Sir is over.

Wish granted. : )

Comment by TreeKhthon

on 2013/03/30 17:33:53

If Garrosh is excavating the lake that Sahn Tidehunter tide-hunts at, where is he and his precious Aqua Jewel to go?

Comment by FrauGloer

on 2013/03/30 18:18:05

After what the orcs have pulled off, I doubt the other races of the horde will be happy to just let them continue to rule them. That would be tantamount of leaving the door open for a second garrosh at some point in the future. Garrosh just showed how dangerous is to leave a single person with absolute, unilateral power.

I guess this depends on how involved Orcs (NPCs) are in the rebellion against Garrosh: if only a few join in while the vast majority supports him, you're probably right. If most of them actually resent his rule (and the fact that it's a "Kor'kron Takeover" suggests that it's mostly Garrosh's inner circle of Kor'kron that support him - and how many of those are there as compared to the totality of the Orcish race?), a prominent Orc like Varok or Eitrigg could - and in all probability would - still become Warchief if other superfactional options like Rexxar aren't considered.

The fact remains that the Orcs are by far the most numerous and powerful Horde race in lore. The Tauren don't aspire to power, the Darkspear lack the numbers to support a leadership claim, and none of the other races would ever accept Forsaken overlordship. That leaves the Blood Elves, and I doubt the Kalimdorian Horde factions would accept one of them as Warchief, either. I know I wouldn't! Darn pointed-eared sissies, the lot of 'em! :D

I stand by what I said earlier: Rexxar for Warchief! A superfactional leader that doesn't favor one race over the others while still catering to the Orcs' "strength=good" personality would be best as a leader in such troubled and divisive times. ;)

Comment by Adamsm

on 2013/03/30 18:23:56

Rexxar has a major strike against him though, ex-Champion of the Horde or not: He's a half-orc, and the Mok's weren't the most respected group before.

Comment by Rankkor

on 2013/03/30 19:22:23

Their entire godamn religon is based around altruism.

just because their religion is based on altruism, doesn't make everyone an altruist. Following that logic, Christianity (in all its many branches, from catholicism, protestants, baptists, Presbyterians, etc, etc, etc) is also a religion who's main tenet is altruism, selflessness, and sacrifice of yourself for the sake of others. Does that makes every single person who follows this religion automatically a saint? or even a decent human being? nope.

Putting this into wow, the very leader of the "godamn religion" of the humans, chose to follow deathwing as the leader of the twilight hammer, as did many other members of that church (such as the black bishop) and then we have the overzealous paladins like Barthilas who may have gotten the blessing of the light, but hold hearts as black as the legion itself.

So no, humans are no more good or evil than any race in this game, and orcs themselves are not inherently evil, they along with every race in the game, is capable of making a choice, and like every race, some choose to be good, while others choose to be evil.

To put this in context, a lot of the Arrakoa we meet in the game are hostile, and worship an evil being, does that make the entire race evil? nope, they CHOOSE their path, and just as there are some that CHOOSE that path, there are plenty of Arrakoa that choose NOT to follow it.

Comment by series6

on 2013/03/31 01:27:09

So when do we get the raid where Anduin kills Garrosh? No other point to having him around unless he does something useful after his time training and living with the pandas.

Any news on the continued story with Theramore and revenge. Sure it was convenient to get rid of Theramore - it being a wasted non capital city...

Comment by Grishie

on 2013/03/31 10:30:24

Am I the only one who actually enjoys Garrosh's Horde? It brings back the old Horde from e.g. Warcraft I & II, and WAR in Warcraft. It has been too much flower-power and sissyness.

Comment by byne

on 2013/03/31 11:03:56

Am I the only one who actually enjoys Garrosh's Horde?

Yes. Garrosh is destroying everything that made the Horde strong.

Comment by Gwyntee

on 2013/03/31 14:03:34

Sooooo true! I wonder also if this is an opportunity to get the fishing achievements: Old Crafty & The Fishing Diplomat.

I have been wanting to go for those for a while without having to go in the middle of the night or without taking a raid party with me.

On a related note . . . I think the level 90 guards might not be quite so scary as I originally suspected. I hit a horde outpost in Outland alone with less than optimal gear and was able to handle 2 level 90 guards, a level 68ish mob, a level 68 paladin and finally fell to a level 90 orc warrior but not before I hurt him pretty well (warlock). If you have not gotten the For the Alliance achievement yet (I have not either) you might want to consider getting a raid together soon before those guards get beefed up again.

Comment by Adamsm

on 2013/03/31 14:05:23

I wonder also if this is an opportunity to get the fishing achievements: Old Crafty & The Fishing Diplomat.

Probably not, since original Battle for the Undercity wouldn't let you.

Comment by Arcklo

on 2013/03/31 15:46:17

Firsts of all, i'd like to commend Lordplatypus for keeping his arguments respectful. The Alliance side sure was looking bad.

Onto my piece, i agree that the Forsaken, as a majority, are evil. While there are a few (ridiculously few in-game, but let's assume there are many more) exceptions, most of them show despise for the living and often life itself, and whether they have historical reasons to do so does not change the end result. Justified evil is still evil. The point is that they more often than not are glad to act upon it. While an entire people cannot be judged by its leader (Garrosh being the prime example), i only recall a single forsaken being mentioned doing even as little as muttering against Sylvanas, and that one left them to join the Argent Dawn. I do admit this last point, however, is limited by my knowedge.

The Orcs are, as Lordplatypus said, a warrior race. Even in their shamanistic, honorable times, they still measured someone's worth trough battle. No other race on WoW is quite like them in this respect. While not evil per se, they mostly still see war as a good status quo. Thrall tried to change that, and almost suceeded, but in the end, the orcish horde itself praised Garrosh's display of the warmongering side of the Horde, reason why Thrall grudgingly placed him as temporary warchief.

About humans, i'd say they are the single neutral race. Since they're, well, us, every other race is measured with humans as the standard, and as such in every fantasy setting they're shown as the most variable race when it comes to individualism, and Warcraft is no different. While their actions as a people where majorly good, in no point of their history was there any shortage of bad apples.

Comment by boochaca

on 2013/03/31 15:57:12

lol this seems like a sad attempt at getting people to come back to horde :p